Domestic appliance

ABSTRACT

A domestic appliance with a door that has an inner wall, an outer wall, an upper closing element and a lower closing element, wherein the inner and outer walls and the upper and lower closing elements delimit an inner hollow space of the door. The outer wall forms a front plate and two side flanks that adjoin the front plate. The two side flanks support edge bars that engage behind the front plate. A locking element is inserted into a corner of the inner hollow space of the door, wherein the corner is formed by one of the two side flanks, one of the edge bars, and one of the upper and lower closing elements.

The present invention relates to a door for a domestic appliance, especially a refrigeration or freezer appliance, comprising a door that is equipped with an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper and a lower closing element that delimit an inner hollow space of the door. Such a domestic appliance is known for example from DE 103 02 797 A1 and from DE 102 59 749 A1.

When the hollow space in the door is filled with foam, the expanding foam material exerts pressure on the walls and the closure elements. In order to prevent said elements being driven apart and foam escaping between them, the pressure must be contained at least until such time as the foam has set. Conventionally this is done by the upper and lower edges of the outer wall each being inserted into a groove of the closing elements, so that the rib of the closing element which delimits the groove outwards takes up the pressure acting from within. A consequence of this construction is that the rib always projects beyond the outer wall. The closure element is thus clearly visible on the finished door and where the outer wall enters into the groove of the closing element, the rib of the door forms a small step on which dirt can collect.

It is thus desirable both from an aesthetic standpoint and also in respect of ease of cleaning to further develop the domestic appliance with the door described at the start so that an escape of foam between the outer wall and the closing element can be securely avoided, without a rib projecting beyond the outer wall being required on the closing element for this purpose.

The object is inventively achieved, for a domestic appliance comprising a door that is equipped with an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper and a lower closing element which delimit an inner hollow space of the door, with the outer wall forming a front panel and two side flanks adjoining the front panel and the side flanks bearing edge bars engaging behind the front panel, by a locking element being inserted into a corner of the inner hollow space formed by at least one of the side flanks, one of the edge bars and one of the closing elements. This locking element bears at least a part of the force which acts on the outer wall during foam filling and thus prevents a movement of the outer wall forwards away from the closing element, also without a front rib of the closing element enclosing the edge of the outer wall.

Instead of the outer rib, an inner rib is preferably provided on the closing element which extends along a horizontal edge of the outer wall. The outer wall is preferably held tensioned by the locking element on this rib, so that no foam can penetrate between the outer wall and the rib. In order to achieve an even pressure force over the entire length of the rib, it is further useful for rib and outer wall to exhibit a curvature.

An anchoring of the locking element is expediently able to be realized by the locking element being fitted together positively in a direction parallel to the front panel with a contour of the closing element. A force acting during foam filling perpendicular to the front panel cannot then dislodge the locking element from its positive fit with the closing element.

The positive fit can expediently be made by a—conventionally mostly present on the closing elements—door mounting bush engaging in a sleeve of the locking element.

Such a door mounting bush can simultaneously serve as an injection opening for injection of insulation material into the inner hollow space of the door or it can accept a venting valve through which air can escape when the door is being filled with foam.

Furthermore the contour of the closing element can include ribs resting against the outer wall and the inner wall between which the locking element engages.

To secure the locking element in its position, above all when it is not yet held in its position by the insulating foam during the assembly of the door before foam filling, the locking element can expediently be latched onto the closing element.

As a further measure to guard against the escape of foam, the outer wall can bear a bar angled backwards towards the inner wall along at least one of its horizontal edges, and the closing element can feature a groove open to the outer side of the door into which the bar engages.

In order to ensure on the one hand that the bar clamps into the groove and on the other hand that the force required to push the bar into the groove is not too great, the groove is expediently wider than the bar engaging within it, and the bar is clamped by ribs projecting from a side wall of the groove. Preferably the side wall bearing the ribs is that side wall of the two side walls of the groove which faces away from the foam, so that the bar rests tightly against the foam-side side wall and performs an additional sealing effect there.

Because the bar forms an upper or lower closure of the side wall respectively, the option is created of letting the closing element pass behind the front side of the door, whereby the closing element is largely hidden from view to an observer and a front side free of any dirt which might possibly accumulate can be obtained.

For fixing the outer wall to the closing element it is expedient for the closing element to bear two lugs resting against the outside of the side flanks These prevent the side flanks from bending away from each other when the front panel of the outer wall is under tensile load.

Preferably the side flank is fixed between the locking element and the lug so that it cannot deviate outwards or inwards into the interior of the door.

To establish and maintain the tension in the outer wall, it is last but not least advantageous for the outer wall to form a hollow rib in each case between side flank and edge bar and for the locking element to feature a projection engaging in the hollow space of the rib.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the description of exemplary embodiments given below which refer to the enclosed figures.

The figures show

FIG. 1 a perspective view of an inventive door;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of the outer wall of the door;

FIG. 3 a closing element of the door from FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a section through the closing element of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 a perspective view of a locking element;

FIG. 6 a horizontal section through the door showing the locking element viewed from above;

FIG. 7 a section through the closing element in a sectional plane in parallel to that of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 a perspective view from the front of a closing element according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 a perspective view from behind of the closing element from FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 a fragmentary perspective view of the closing element of FIG. 8, an outer wall mounted on it and a locking element to be mounted on it, and

FIG. 11 a part section through the closing element, the outer wall and the locking element of FIG. 10 in the assembled state.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inventive door which can serve as a door of a refrigerator or freezer appliance or as one of a number of doors of a combination refrigeration appliance. In the known manner the door comprises an outer wall 1 which is formed in one piece from a sheet metal blank, an upper closing element 2, a lower closing element 3 and an inner wall not visible in the view shown in FIG. 1.

The outer wall 1 can be seen in FIG. 2 in a perspective view which essentially shows the inner surface of the outer wall 1 hidden in the assembled state of the door. The outer wall is divided into a slightly curved front panel 4, two side flanks 5 each joining the front panel 4 at the sides and two edge bars 6 projecting behind the front panel 4 from the side flanks 5 The edge bars 6 each serve to attach the rear wall not shown in the figure. This is cut in a manner known and therefore not described in detail here from flat plastic material and formed by deep drawing.

The outer wall 1 forms a hollow rib 7 in each case between the side flanks 5 and the edge bars 6.

At the upper and lower edges of the outer wall 1 a bar 8 is angled in a horizontal direction in each case. The width of the bar 8 is respectively larger in a center section 9 than at its two ends 10.

FIG. 3 shows in the perspective of FIG. 1 the upper closure element 2 of the door. FIG. 4 is a section through the upper closing element 2 along a plane labeled IV-IV in FIG. 3. The closing element 2 injection molded from plastic has a flat base plate 11 and a second plate 12 joining this to form one piece and in parallel to it, with the two plates together forming a groove 13 open to the front. The second plate 12 bears a plurality of ribs 14 engaging in the groove 13 essentially extending in the width direction of the groove 13. The second plate 12 projects beyond the front edge 15 of the base plate 11. Formed in a central area of the second plate 12 on its front edge is a bar 16 extending vertically downwards, slightly curved to match the curvature of the front plate 4.

In the assembled state of the door, the groove 16 accepts the upper of the two bars 8 of the outer wall 1, with the bar 8 being clamped between the ribs 14 and the base plate 11. When the bar 8 is introduced correctly into the groove 13, the inner side of the front panel 4 is supported on the bar 16. Since the bar 16 protrudes beyond the front edge 15 of the base plate, the front panel 4 resting against the bar 16 also does this, so that an easy-to-clean door front side free of projections or steps will be produced.

Two angled lugs 17 projecting from the longitudinal ends of the closing element 2 are provided in order, in the assembled state as shown in FIG. 1, to rest against the outer side edges 5 and to fix their position.

A vertically-oriented groove 19 extending along a rear edge 18 of the base plate 11 is provided to accept an upper edge of the inner wall and to fix it.

Two openings 20 of the base plate visible in FIG. 3 belong to mounting bushes 21 which are provided to rotatably accommodate a fixed support pin on a housing carrying the door not shown in the diagram. There are two mounting bushes 21 on each closing element in a mirrored symmetrical arrangement in the known manner in order to make it possible to hang the door on the housing to open to the left or to the right.

FIG. 5 shows the perspective view of one or two blocking elements 22 which mirror each other symmetrically, which are provided in each case after the closure element 2 is joined to the outer wall 1 but before the assembly of the inner wall, to be fitted over the mounting bushes 21 of the closing element 2. The locking elements 22 has a base 23, the shape of which is similar to a box open on one side, with an approximately rectangular floor plate 24 and side walls 25 through 28 meeting the edges of the floor plate 24. In the assembled state the floor plate 24 touches the base plate 11 of the closing element 2, the front sidewall 25 rests as an extension of the bar 16 from the inside against the front plate 4, with a cutout 29 at the foot of the sidewall 25 accepting the second plate 12 of the closing element 2. The outer side wall 26 rests against the inner side of one of the side flanks 5, and a part of the side wall 27 touches one of the edge bars 6. A rib-shaped projection 30 between the side walls 26, 27 engages in each case into one of the hollow ribs 7 of the outer wall 1. A sleeve 31 of the closing element 22 essentially surrounds the mounting bush 21 with no play. Ribs 32 oriented radially in relation to the sleeve 31 connect the latter to the side walls 26, 27, 28.

The outer wall 1 and the closing element 2 can be formed so that solely by fitting the locking elements 22 to both ends of the closing element 2 the outer wall is placed under tension and is held pressed against the bar 16. Because of the curvature of the bar 16, the outer wall 1 then rests tightly over the entire length of the bar 16 against the latter and will also not be forced away from the bar 16 by the force acting during foam filling from inside against the front panel 4. Such a tensile force can be established especially easily if the mounting bush 21 and the sleeve accommodating it 31 have a slightly conical shape. This drives the locking element 22 further outwards and against the side flanks 5 the further it is pushed onto the mounting bush.

It is however not absolutely necessary to place the outer wall and attention at the point at which the locking element 22 is being attached. Even if at this point the outer wall 1 remains under no tension, the clamping of the side flanks between the locking elements 22 and the lugs 17 as well as the engagement of the projections 30 into the hollow ribs 7 prevent the outer wall yielding to the force acting from within during foam filling. If foam still gets between the front panel 4 and the bar 16 this cannot pass between the bar 8 and the second plate 12 so that a foam-tight seal is still guaranteed.

A further advantage of the locking bar 22 is that it reinforces the mounting bush 21 so that a loadable door suspension is able to be realized even with a relatively small wall thickness of the closing element 2.

The lower closing element 3, as indicated in FIG. 1, can be embodied as a mirror image of the upper closing element 2. In this case one of the four mounting bushes 21 of the closing elements 2, 3 is preferably open at its tip projecting into the hollow space of the door in order to serve as an injection opening for a plastic resin material which provides the foam expanding into the hollow space. The other three mounting bushes 21 which are located at the corners of the hollow space furthest from the injection point then expediently provided at their tip each with a venting valve which allows the escape of air but not of foam from the hollow space.

FIG. 6 shows a horizontal section through a part of the door, with one of the locking elements 22 able to be seen from above. The sleeve 31, the ribs 32 extending out from it, the walls 25 through 28 as well as the course of the wall 1 closely following the walls 25, 26, 27 and the projection 30 can be seen in the diagram. The lug 17 in this embodiment, unlike in the diagram shown in FIG. 3, is extended rearwards around the hollow rib 7 and changes into a rib 33 which forms an outer limit of the groove 19 accepting the inner wall of the door labeled 34 in this diagram.

FIG. 7 shows a section through the closing element 2 and the locking element 22 mounted thereon in a plane parallel to the plane of FIG. 4. In this plane the base plate 11, a vertical wall 35 joining the base plate 11 and the second plate 12 and a wall 45 delimiting the groove 19 of the closing element 2 form a cutout into which the base 23 of the locking element 22 engages to form a positive fit. When the door is completely assembled and filled with foam the locking element 22 is fixed in the cutout through the insulating foam. An additional fixing, also effective during the assembly of the door, is formed by an indentation or a window 36 in the wall 35 into which a latching projection 37 at the height of the cutout 29 formed on the locking element 22 engages. The locking element 22, once it has been mounted on the closing element 2, is permanently connected to the latter by this latching projection 37.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the closing element, designated 2′, in a perspective corresponding to that depicted in FIG. 3; FIG. 9 shows the rear side of the closing element 2′ in a perspective corresponding to that depicted in FIG. 2. Parts of the closing element 2′ and of the closing element 2 described above which correspond to each other are labeled with the same reference symbols. As with the closing element 2, a base plate 11 and a second plate 12 delimit a groove 13 open to the front, into which ribs 14 project in order to clamp an angled bar 8 of the outer wall 1 therein.

Formed on the base plate 11 is a vertical rear wall 38. Formed in the rear wall 38 and the base plate 11 are cutouts 39 open to the back and to the top which are provided for receiving an arm projecting from the body of the refrigeration appliance not shown the diagram which bears at its end a support pin engaging into an opening 20 on the floor of the cutouts 39 in order in this way to hide the arm from an observer standing in front of the appliance. As with the closing element 2, the opening 20 belongs to a mounting bush 21 projecting into the inside of the door.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view from below of a part of the closing element 2′ with one of the cutouts 39 and the mounting bushes 21 respectively as well as a part of the outer wall 1 attached to the closing element 2′. As described in relation to the closing element 2, the outer wall 1 is anchored to the closing element 2′ by the bar 8 of the outer wall (hidden in FIG. 10) engaging in the groove 13 of the closing element 2′. Compared to the closing element 2 however a wall 45 of the closing element 2′, which delimits the groove 19 accepting the inner wall 34 (not shown) is gripped from behind over a short distance by the edge bar 6 of the outer wall 1. It is thus not possible to assemble the closing element 2′ and the outer wall 1 by simply pushing the two against each other horizontally and thereby the bar 8 being inserted into the groove 13; instead, on the insertion of the bar 8 into the rib 13, the closing element 2′ must be held at a slight angle so that the edge bar 6 can pass the wall 45, and only after passing this wall 45 will the closing element 2′ be pivoted around a horizontal axis 40 (see FIG. 8) so that an end of the edge bar 6 comes to rest against the wall 45, as shown in FIG. 10. In this way a first provisional anchoring of the outer wall 1 on the closing element 2′ is obtained.

A definitive anchoring is obtained by a locking element 22′ shown in FIG. 10 separately from the outer wall 1 and the closing element 2′ being pushed onto the mounting bush 21 of the closing element 2′. The structure of the locking element 22′ is largely the same as that of the locking element 22 from FIG. 5, with the difference that with the locking element 22′ two tongues 41, 42 project outwards beyond the floor plate of the base 23, in order in the assembled state to engage in a gap between the walls of the cutout 39 and the side edge 5 or the front plate 4 of the outer wall 1.

FIG. 11 shows a section through the tongue 42 engaging in a gap 43 between a wall 44 delimiting the cutout 39 and the bar 16 supporting the front plate 4. A latching projection 37 which engages in the cutout of the bar 16 joins the locking element 22′ permanently to the closing element 2′ 

1-14. (canceled)
 15. A domestic appliance, comprising: a door having an inner wall, an outer wall, an upper closing element and a lower closing element, the inner and outer walls and the upper and lower closing elements delimiting an inner hollow space of the door; a front plate formed by the outer wall; two side flanks formed by the outer wall and adjoining the front plate; a plurality of edge bars supported by the two side flanks, each edge bar engaging behind the front plate; and a locking element inserted into a corner of the inner hollow space of the door, the corner formed by one of the two side flanks, one of the edge bars, and one of the upper and lower closing elements.
 16. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the domestic appliance is a refrigeration appliance.
 17. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall has a horizontal edges, wherein each of the upper and lower closing elements carries a bar that extends along a respective one of the horizontal edges of the outer wall, and wherein the locking elements holds the outer wall under tension on the bar.
 18. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the locking element is joined together, in parallel direction to the front plate, with a contour of at least one of the upper and lower closing elements so as to form a positive fit.
 19. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the locking element has a sleeve, and wherein the contour of the at least one of the upper and lower closing elements includes a door mounting bush to engage the sleeve of the locking element.
 20. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the door mounting bush defines an injection opening to inject insulation material into the inner hollow space of the door.
 21. The domestic appliance of claim 19, wherein the door mounting bush comprises a vent valve to ventilate the inner hollow space of the door.
 22. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the contour of the at least one of the upper and lower closing elements comprises ribs that rest against the inner wall and the outer wall, and wherein the locking element engages in-between the ribs.
 23. The domestic appliance of claim 18, wherein the locking element is latched onto the at least one of the upper and lower closing elements.
 24. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall comprises transverse edges; wherein the outer wall carries a ledge angled towards the inner wall along at least one of the transverse edges of the outer wall; wherein at least one of the upper and lower the closing elements has a groove that is open towards an exterior side of the door; and wherein the ledge engages into the groove.
 25. The domestic appliance of claim 24, wherein the groove is wider than the ledge engaging into the groove; wherein the groove has a side wall; wherein ribs protrude from the side wall; and wherein the ledge is clamped to the ribs.
 26. The domestic appliance of claim 24, wherein the at least one of the upper and lower closing elements has a front edge; wherein the door has a front side; and wherein the front edge of at least one of the upper and lower closing elements moves back behind the front side of the door.
 27. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein at least one of the upper and lower closing elements carries two lugs that rest against an outside of the two side flanks
 28. The domestic appliance of claim 27, wherein each of the two side flanks is fixed between the locking element and a respective one of the two lugs.
 29. The domestic appliance of claim 15, wherein the outer wall defines a hollow rib between a respective one of the two side edges and a respective one of the plurality of edge bars; and wherein the locking element has a projection that engages in a hollow space of the hollow rib. 